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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark McDougall

Kenny Miller makes Rangers homegrown talent claim as he calls for club to match Celtic

Kenny Miller insists Rangers need to answer questions over why so few players are breaking through from their academy.

The former Ibrox striker can't understand why there is no one coming through the Auchenhowie system that have managed to put their stamp on the team or on the Scotland squad.

In the current Rangers first team squad, nobody has emerged since the training centre was built with Allan McGregor there prior to that.

Ross McCrorie has played on a semi-regular basis over the past couple of seasons before being sent on loan this season while there are high hopes for the likes of Dapo Mebude, Robby McCrorie, Jamie Barjonas and Josh McPake.

But Ryan Jack is the only player in Steven Gerrard's side that has any real chance of playing for Scotland and Miller feels more needs done to produce at one of the country's biggest clubs.

(PA)

In Steve Clarke's last Scotland squad, only Jack earned a call-up from Rangers while Celtic had Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie, James Forrest and new boy Greg Taylor.

There is brighter prospects in the U21s for Scotland with the McCrorie twins being joined by Kieran Wright, Stephen Kelly and Glenn Middleton in the squad while at the age group below there was three with Nathan Patterson joining Mebude and McPake.

But Miller wants to see more evidence within the first team and with players forcing themselves into the reckoning on the international stage.

(SNS)

He told BBC Scotland: "(Allan) McGregor, (Barry) Ferguson and (Alan) Hutton were there before. All these guys were in the system prior to Murray Park being there. Yeah they might have started out there, but they were already in the system.

"It's about who has came through at Rangers since Murray Park being there. There's not too many.

"You look at Celtic in the last three years, three of their best performers, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Kieran Tierney. All homegrown boys. Mikey Johnston broke through last year and is really coming to prominence this year.

"It's not easy, but questions need to be asked why are one of the biggest teams in the country are toiling to bring players through.

"I'm trying to think outside of Ryan Jack, who could be in the Scotland squad out of the Rangers team."

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